


Conflict of Interest

by zahrabane



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alliance Rune (Shadowhunter Chronicles), Angst, Foreplay, Kissing, Love, M/M, Making Up, OTP Feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-05
Updated: 2017-08-05
Packaged: 2018-12-11 07:41:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11709897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zahrabane/pseuds/zahrabane
Summary: "No one at the institute ever let Alexander Lightwood forget about the time he threw Magnus Bane’s pants onto the Inquisitor’s head."Follows the events of 2x18! Clary comes up with the alliance rune and Magnus considers having the Warlocks join the Shadowhunters. Fun things happen in Alec's office. Inquisitor Herondale questions her grandson's choice in parabatai (low-key). Life is pure.





	Conflict of Interest

**Author's Note:**

> That last episode gave me FEELS so here we are. A little angst, a little love, and a little too much of the Clave. 
> 
> You can find me on tumblr as @zahrabane, feel free to send me prompts always

Alec was literally drowned in documents. The Clave officials were here, and that meant extra paperwork and then extra complaining about not enough people being in the field and then _more_ paperwork about that…. And gearing up for the battle with Valentine and Sebastian required battle plans to be drawn and troops to be organized….

Alec jumped at the light rap of knuckles on his door. It was a familiar sound, usually welcome but tonight a surprise.

“Magnus?” he called.

Magnus entered the room like a dark shadow, dressed all in black. Alec wasn’t used to seeing him like this, wasn’t used to seeing him much at all in the past few weeks. It was concerning to see him enter a room without his usual flair.

“Alexander,” Magnus said, and Alec got up so quickly he nearly knocked his chair over. _So much for Shadowhunter grace,_ he thought. He straightened himself up, trying to look composed. Like a leader should.

“Have your people made a decision in aligning with us to fight Valentine?” Alec asked.

Magnus’ eyes met  Alec’s, heavy and sombre, and Alec felt cold fear hit him straight in the gut.

“I presume you know of the so-called Alliance rune Clary created to bind Shadowhunters with Downworlders?”

“Yes,” Alec said.

“And you really think my people are willing to share their power with your kind?”

 _Your kind._ A stark reminder of the differences that pushed him and Magnus apart, time and time again.

“It’s our only hope,” Alec said. “Look I know the Clave - “

“My people will not work under the Clave.”

“So that’s a no?”

“Do you really think Shadowhunters would bind themselves to Downworlders anyways?”

“The right warriors will. The warriors fighting for the right cause.” Alec was gaining conviction now, emerging from behind his desk, and approaching Magnus slowly. He craved being closer, but restrained himself. _I would bind myself to you in a second,_ he wanted to say.

“Then my people will fight with the right warriors. Not the Clave.”

“Then… who?”

“They will fight with Shadowhunters who have proven themselves to be true allies with the downworld. People like Clary, and Isabelle.” Alec noticed Magnus didn’t mention his name, and it stung.

“They will not take orders from your Inquisitor,” Magnus continued. “I am going to propose using the Downworld Cabinet along with Shadowhunter representatives - perhaps Isabelle or you and Jace, to lead the army.”

Alec nodded. The Clave was desperate, and the Inquisitor might allow this if her golden boy grandson was in any sort of leadership capacity.

“But do you think Clary’s rune will actually work? This sharing powers thing - will it be effective?”

“I have immense faith in Clary,” Magnus said, then hesitated for a moment, staring straight at Alec. “But I think we need to test it out.”

“I will test it,” Alec said. His eyes stared back at Magnus, asking a silent question. _Will you share power with me, the way we once shared strength?_

“Ever the dutiful, Alexander,” Magnus said, and he looked down.

“Hey,” Alec said, taking a step closer to Magnus. “Magnus.” He slowly moved his hand up to Magnus’ chin, giving him time to react, time to pull away. But Magnus was still, letting Alec tip his chin until their eyes met.

“Magnus. Jace once said to me, ‘I don’t want to be alive if we’re on different sides’. We almost killed each other that night. But it’s true. There’s no point in fighting this war if we’re not fighting for the ones we love. I don’t want to live to fight this war if I’m not fighting for my parabatai, for my family, for _you….”_ Alec’s voice broke, and he had to resist the urge to gather up Magnus inside his arms and hold him until the war was over.

“Oh Alexander,” Magnus said, finally softening. “ _Aku cinta kamu.”_

Alec’s brows furrowed, confusion mixed with hope pulling at his features. Magnus moved his hand down to curl around Alec’s.

“It means I love you, Alexander. We will test the rune together. Perhaps our love can be a bridge that brings our worlds together.”

Alec smiled softly at this, his features finally relaxing.

 _“Aku cinta kamu_ ,” Alec said, testing out the words on his tongue. They felt heavy. Full of a hidden meaning, the way Mangus once was.

Magnus closed the rest of the space between them, and Alec finally let himself stop resisting the pull of Magnus’ body. It has been _weeks_ since he had felt this, the fire that was Magnus’ skin touching his, the weight of Magnus’ body against his never enough as he pushed closer and closer. He felt Magnus pull away for a second, only to have warm lips crash against his.

The kiss was love and desperation. It was a war-time kiss, like their worlds depended on it, like they had to fight the space in between them by pushing ever closer. Magnus, clearly now determined to win this war against everything driving them apart, pushed Alec onto the desk. Alec landed on a stack of documents and couldn’t have cared less. Magnus worked Alec’s shirt off, whipping it somewhere across the room as he leaned down to worship Alec’s body with his mouth. Alec pulled him back up to work Magnus’ pants off so he could grab his ass properly, and then let Magnus lose again to explore his body.

Magnus heard a faint knock on the door as he worked his mouth towards the waist of Alec’s pants, but he ignored it. The war could wait, he had waited weeks for this. Alec had the pants he had wrenched off Magnus in his hand, and he flung them as he moaned, not hearing the door squeak open.

But he did hear the indignant noise that followed.

Alec’s head rose only to see Inquisitor Herondale, with Magnus’ pants on her head, averting her eyes in horror from what must have been a spectacular view of the High Warlock of Brooklyn’s ass. Magnus spun around and practically perched himself on Alec’s lap to glare at the inquisitor.

“Inquisitor Herondale,” Magnus said. “Can I help you?”

The Inquisitor ignored him and focused her attention on Alec.

“Mr. Lightwood,” she said. “Is this how you prepare for war?”

“Inquisitor Herondale,” Alec said. “Actually, Magnus and I, for the Alliance rune - ”

“I thought I heard you had removed this conflict of interest from your life, Mr. Lightwood,” the Inquisitor said, cutting him off and gesturing vaguely to Magnus. She looked extremely red in the face, and Alec couldn’t tell if it was from embarrassment or anger. He decided to assume the latter. He tried not to shiver, feeling cold and exposed.

“Inquisitor Herondale,” Magnus said, drawing himself up. He somehow managed to look somewhat dignified, sitting in his underwear on top of Alec, as only Magnus could. “If you would like my people to join you, I suggest you give Alexander and I further time to, ah, negotiate the terms of our alliance.”

“Mr. Bane - ”

“High Warlock Bane,” Magnus interrupted. “Now, we are going to have a meeting in 1 hour with the downworld cabinet and Clarissa Fairchild. Alec and I will test the rune, and if all goes well, we will negotiate our allegiance for this battle.”

The Inquisitor glared, but pressed her mouth together and nodded. Alec stared between them in shock. He felt Magnus pressing his ass into his lap and he turned an even deeper shade of red, thinking he might internally combust if the Inquisitor didn’t leave _right now._

“Mr. Lightwood,” Inquisitor Herondale said. “I expect to see you and Mr. Bane in main hall in exactly one hour.”

“Okay,” Alec choked out. “Would you ask Jace to be there?” He felt a sudden need to see his _parabatai,_ to feel the familiar chaotic presence of Jace by his side as he merged his world completely with Magnus amidst all these feelings of love and hurt and hope. “I want to make sure this Alliance has no effect on our ability to fight as _Parabatai.”_

Inquisitor Herondale looked very disturbed as she looked at her precious grandson’s _parabatai_ , but she nodded.

“Now if you please,” Magnus said, magicking the door pointedly open. He magicked it shut hard the moment she was out before turning around to kiss Alec’s red face.

“Perhaps we should lock the door next time we negotiate,” Alec said as he let himself fall back onto the desk. Magnus snapped his fingers to do just that as Alec twisted his fingers around Magnus, pulling him back into his arms one last time before the real battle began.

No one at the institute ever let Alexander Lightwood forget about the time he threw Magnus Bane’s pants onto the Inquisitor’s head.


End file.
